Assembling elevator gate for typographical machines



Mai-db 1, 1927.

\ D. L. ANDERSON ASSEMBLING ELEVATOR GATE FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINES Filed June 22, 1925 Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1 1,619,646 PATENT oF FICE.

DAVID L. ANDERSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO INTEETYPE CORPORA- TION, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ASSEMBLING ELEVATOR GATE FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINES.

Application filed June 22, 192-5. Serial No. 38,839.

The present invention relates to improve ments in typographical machines, and, more particularly to those of the linotype class wherein matrices and space bands are as- 5 sembled in lines in a so-called assembling elevator preparatory to their transfer to the casting mechanism for the casting of the type bars or slugs therefrom.

Assembling elevators as heretofore used include a gate which is pivotally mounted at the front thereof and enables the compositor to remove matrices from or to insert matrices into the line during or after its composition for the making of corrections or for other purposes, the upper edge of the gate serving as a support for the ears of the space bands assembled in the line, and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a gate of this character which is of novel and improved construction.

Heretofore, the assembling elevator gate has been constructed from a body member or rail and supporting arms made as sep arate pieces and brazed to its ends, and such a built-up construction made it possible to produce a square sharp corner between the body member and the supporting arm adjacent to the delivery channel and thus provide a continuous or uninterrupted support- 30 .ing surface between the gate and the delivery channel for the support and guidance of the space bands during their transfer from the assembling elevator to the delivery channel, but such a construction is very expensive to manufacture.

The present invention enables the gate to be manufactured inexpensively from a single piece of flat metal or other suitable material, the supporting arms being composed of parts of the same blank which provides the body member of the gate and bent at right angles to the body member, and although a rounded corner results from the bending of the supporting arm into right-angular relation with the body member, yet a sharp right-angular corner is produced at the end of the body member which is to adjoin the rail of the delivery channel, this result being attained by providing an ear or tongue which is located above and separated from the bend, said ear or tongue remaining unbent or aligned with the top of the body member and presenting a square sharp cornered end which is capable of making a close square joint with the adjacent end of the delivery channel rail, thereby avoiding the presence of a gap or interruption between the gate and the delivery channel in which the ears of the space bands might catch. The invention thus enables the gate to be constructed inexpensively of flat metal bent into shape,

but the gate possesses all of the advantagesa strip bearing an em scale has been appliedto the frontsof the body member or rail of the gate, so that the upper edge of the scale strip was flush or on the same level with the upper edge of the body member or rail, but such a construction has been unsatisfactory due to the fact that when a composed line of matrices and space bands is contained in the assembling elevator, insufficient space is left between the lugs or ears on the matrices and space bands and the edge of the gate to enable the compositor to grip the gate in order to open it. The present invention provides a scale strip which is so constructed and applied to the gate that it affords a convenient finger-piece whereby the gate may be easily and quickly opened when such is desired.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements as will be hereinafter set forth, the features of novelty being pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of portions of the assembling elevator and delivery channel of a typographical machine, the assembling elevator being provided with a gate embodying the present invention. I

Figure 2 represents a cross-section through the assembling elevator and its gate, the section being taken on the line 22 of Figure 1 and looking toward the left in that figure.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the gate on an enlarged scale and detached from the assembling elevator, a portion of the scale strip being shown removed or broken away.

Figure 4 shows the preferred form. of blank from which the gate is made.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, but showing the supporting arms at the ends of 'tion is applicable generally to typographical machines of the class wherein matrices and space bands are assembled to form composed lines, the gate providing access to the line during or after its composition to en able the compositor to remove, substitute or insert matrices at any desired point in the line. The preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying.

drawing and will be hereinafter described as applied to typographical machines of the linotype class, but it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the precise construction shown as equivalent constructions are contemplated, and such will be included within the scope of the claims.

In the present instance, A represents the upper portion of an assembling elevator which may be constructed substantially like those commonly used in machines of the linot-ype class, B represents a portion of the space band chute through which space bands are delivered to the assembling elevator at the right-hand end thereof, it being understood that matrices also are delivered to this end of the assembling elevator by assembling means, the construction and operation of which are well-known to those skilled in this art, and C reperesents a portion of the delivery channel through which the composed lines are advanced to the casting mechanism of the machine, the delivery channel being provided, as usual, with a rail 0 at each side to receive the ears or lugs on the space bands and thus support the latter during their passage through the delivery channel. The assembling elevator in machines of this class occupies its lower or full line position, Fig. 1, during the a sembling of the matrices and space bands, and after a line has been composed the ole vator is raised up to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, whereupon the composed line is transferred from the assembling elevator to the delivery channel. and is passed through the latter to the casting mechanism. These parts are similar to those generally used in machines of the linotype class and their construction and mode of operation is well understood in the art.

The assembling elevator A is provided with. a passageway therethrough for the matrices M and space bands S,the matrices and space bands being received at the righthand end of the elevator and removed from the opposite end thereof. The space bands, while contained in the elevator are supported by their lugs orears s which project laterally from their upperends and rest on the upper edges of rails 1 and 2 which form parts of the front and rear walls of the elevator. The rail 1 constitutes a part of the gate which is mounted to swing from its normal. operative position, shown in Fig. 2, forwardly to an extent sufiicient to render the line of matrices and spacers in the eleator accessible and to enable any matrix in the line to be removed or another matrix inserted. As shown, the rail 1 forms the body member of the gate, it being mounted at its ends on arms or hinge members 3 and 1, the latter being pivoted to the ends of the gate as by the screws or pivot pins 5 and 6, which permit the gate to be swung in a forward and rearward direction. i

The gate, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, is formed from a one-piece blank substantially as shown in Figure 4, the main or body portion 1 of the blank being adapted to form the body member or rail of the gate and the portions 3; and l which extend at right angles from the ends of the body member 1 being adapted to form the supporting arms 3 and 1. An angular notch 7 is formed in one corner of the blank, this notch extending to a line Swhich substantially indicates the line on which the portion 3 to be bent, so that it stands in right-angular relation with the face or fiat side of the body member 1, the notch forming a lug or ear 9, the upper edge of which is an uninterrupted continuation of the upper edge of the body member 1, the lug or ear extendingbeyondthe line 8 a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the portion 3. The opposite end of the body portion 1 is provided with a longitudinal notch 10 which forms an overhanging tongue 11, the upper edge of which forms an uninterrupted continuation of the upper edge of the body member 1, the end of this tongue terminating substantially opposite to the line 12 on which the portion 4: is to be bent to bring it into right-angular relation with the face or flat side of the body member. Figure 5 shows the blank after the portions 3 and 4 have been bent into right-angular relation with the body portion 1. The ear or tongue 9 which is separated from the portion by the notch 7 remains unbent, so that it forms a continuation of the body member 1, its upper edge being aligned with the upper edge of the body member, and the outer end of the ear or tongue 9 is substantially in a line with the outer tace of the right-angularly bent arm 3. The tongue 11 at the opposite end of the gate also remains unbent and the slot ornotch 1O beneath it is adapted to receive a detent 13 such as that usually employed at the entrance end of the assembling elevator to prevent dropping back of the matrices as they are introduced into the elevator. The (letent may be suitably pivoted in the slot 10 and provided with a spring let to yieldingly press it into matrix-retaining position.

The gate, after being formed from a onepiece blank, as described, may be mounted on the assembling elevator by the pivotscrews 5 and 6, the extension ear or tongue 9 at the left-hand end of the gate reaching to the vertical face of the delivery channel G against which the elevator operates. The bending of the portion 3 into right-angular relationship with the body portion 1 produces a rounded corner at the junction of these parts, as is indicated at 15 in Figures (3 and 7, but as the ear or tongue 9 is separated from the portion 3 by the notch 7, this ear or tongue remains unbent and, hence, it lies in the plane of the body member 1 and forms an aligned continuation thereof. By cutting the end of the ear or tongue 9 square to the faces of the flat metal composing the blank. a square sharp-cornered end is provided by this ear or tongue after the portion 3 has been bent on the line 8, this. being clearly shown in Figure 6, which illustrates the ear or tongue as viewed from the top, and in Figure 7 which illustrates the ear or tongue as viewed from the under side. In consequence, the end of the ear or tongue 9 will reach to the adjacent end of the rail 0 of the delivery channel and will form a close right-angular joint therewith, there being no crevice or gap between the assembling elevator and the delivery channel in which the ears 8 of the space bands might lodge or catch during the transfer of the line from the assembling elevator to the delivery channel. In other words, the sharpcornered end provided by the ear or tongue 9 enables a substantially continuous or uninterrupted joint to be formed between the assembling elevator and the delivery channel when the elevator is brought into line delivering position. Obviously, the gate can be constructed inexpensively from flat sheet metal. it being only necessary to punch the blank from the flat stock and to form or bend the portions 3 and 4 into right-angular relation with the body member, the ear or tongue 9 separated from the portion by the notch 7 enabling the upper or space band supporting edge of the gate to form a close right-angular joint with the corresponding rail of the delivery channel to insure the proper transfer of the space bands thereto.

The present invention also provides a scale strip for indicating the number of ems contained in the line in the assembling elevator, this scale strip. according to the present invention providing means by which the compositor may easily and quickly open the gate to obtain access to the line. Preferably, and as shown, the scale strip comprises a body portion 16 which may be secured to the forward side of the body member 1 of the gate by screws 17 or other suitable means and bears appropriate graduations 18, and a lip or extension 19 which projects upwardly beyond the top edge of the body member 1 and is preferably inclined forwardly at a suitable angle. It will be observed from Figure 2 that when a line of matrices and space bands is contained in the elevator, the lugs or ears on the forward corners of the matrices andspace bands obstruct the upper edge of the body member 1 of the gate to such an extent that it would be diflicult to obtain a grip upon the gate for the purpose of swinging it forwardly or into its open position, but by providing the scale with the upwardly projecting lip 19 a finger portion is presented in a position where it can be easily and quickly engaged by the finger and utilized as a means for swinging the gate forwardly or into open position, and the facility with which the finger may engage the lip is increased by extending the lip forwardly or in a direction away fromthe lugs or ears on the matrices and space bands. It will be understood that when the gate is swung forwardly about the pivots 5 and 6, the front of the line of matrices and soace bands contained in the elevator is exposed and that the compositor is then enabled to handle the matrices and space bands individually to make corrections in the line or for other purposes, the gate, however. normally occupying the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, so that it constitutes, in effect, the forward matrix guiding wall of the assembling elevator and the upper edge of its body member provides a rail to support the lugs or ears on the forward edges of the space bands.

I claim as my invention 1. An assembling elevator gate for typographical machines comprising a body member and a supporting arm formed in one piece and bent into right angular relation, the upper edge of the body member being unbent and extending to the plane of the outer side of the supporting arm and presenting a square corner.

2. An assembling elevator gate for typographical machines comprising a body memher and a. supporting arm formed in one piece of flat stock and bent flatwise into right-angular relation, the upper edge of the body member having a portion which extends beyond the line of bend between the body member and the supporting arm and presents a square-cornered end.

3. An assembling elevator gate for typographical machines comprising a body member, a supporting arm arranged in a plane at a right angle to the body member, and an ear forming an alined continuation of the body member and presenting a squarecornered end which overlies the supporting arm.

at. An assembling elevator gate :for typographical machines comprising a body me1nber, a supporting arm extending at an angle from the body member and forming a rounded corner at its junction therewith, and an ear forming an alined continuation of the body member and overlying said rounded corner.

5. An assembling elevator gate for typographical machines comprising a body member and a supporting arm formed in one piece and composed of flat stock bent flatwise into substantially right-angular relation, the corner joining said member and arm being rounded and an ear projecting from an end of said member in alinement therewith and separated from and overlying said rounded corner.

6. An assembling elevator gate to cooperate with the delivery channel of a typographical machine comprising a body member adapted to aline with the spacebandsupporting rail of the delivery channel, a supporting arm joined to the end of the body member adjacent to the delivery channel and extending at an angle to the plane of the bodymember, and an ear sepa- 'ated from said supporting arm and pro jecting from the adjacent end of the body member and having a square cornered end to form a square-cornered joint with said rail of the delivery channel.

In testimony whereof I have my hand.

DAVID L. ANDERSON.

hereunto set 

